In about 4 weeks we may or may not be able to see the gender of our baby! Yes, we’re those people who HAVE to know! Before then though we’re going to try a bunch of those old wives tales for predicting the gender of our baby. Join us in the fun!

Predictor #1 A boy’s heart rate will be under 140; a girl’s is over 140

Well, Baby Raspberry has had a consistent heart rate of 160 EVERYTIME we go to see the doctor or have an ultrasound. This has been measured a total of five times.

As of three Fridays ago the pregnancy is going well. Actually, I can’t really confirm or deny that because my doctor never told me how he thought the ultrasound looked that he had me go to the hospital to get. The voicemail for his nurse says that if I have an appointment scheduled that I shouldn’t leave a message asking about test results, that the doctor will go over them in my next appointment. I can say that the baby was still there and it’s heart was beating. I can also tell you that I am still vomiting sporadically. Doesn’t sporadic sound great with vomit? Right up there with projectile! All of these things are true!

My husband Jay wanted me to blog about my whole pregnancy. Believe me, you all are so glad that I haven’t been. Sadly it would be mostly complaining and fear. No one needs that. Also I would tell you that I feel bullied. It’s like the second you tell people you are pregnant you get pummeled with advice and stories. I’ve been so thankful for most people who share their experiences and their stories with me because it helps me feel not so alone. The hard ones are people who criticize everything you do, every choice you make. From how to bathe to what medicines you should and shouldn’t take. I will remind those people that I am under the care of a doctor. Absent as he may feel at times, I am under his care.

These people may do things differently and may or may not have a healthy child to show for it but I’m not you, I don’t make all of the same decisions as you and my pregnancy is not the same as yours, even if you do have one or two things similar to me, they aren’t the same. The absolute worst is when they use others to TEAM up on me, especially others who don’t even have kids! It’s just not right. I’m going to take the advice of a doctor who has seen my baby AND my vajayjay over the advice of someone who has one or two kids. No offence but med school trumps your personal experience and opinion.

Has anyone else ever felt this way about any sort of medical condition?

Let me just tell you a little bit about our Fall “festivities”. Upon my return from my California business trip/high school reunion trip we learned that we were pregnant AND that my husband would need to have surgery to remove a herniated disk in his neck. Talk about stress! Add regular, every day stress and job stress and I feel like someone other than myself. Not only that but I’ve been extremely sick from aforementioned pregnancy.

While sick because of what we’ve been calling baby Raspberry (that was how big heshe was when we told our families), I came down with a case of H1N1 and pneumonia and my little sister came to stay with us for a week (sucks to be her since it was pretty much one of our worst weeks ever).

During her visit we were at the hospital so I could be treated for the illnesses. A few days later we got a flat tire and then we left for a small road trip to Virginia so she could see my grandparents before she makes her permanent move to England.

When we arrived at my grandparent’s house in Virginia I got out of the car and felt the worst warm sensation fall from my body. I had a moment of embarrassment where I thought I had somehow peed my pants. I looked down my pants and saw more blood than I’ve ever seen in my life. I stood in shock as my husband and sister came around the side of the car. “I’m miscarrying,” I stated.

They both looked at me and said something to the effect of “shut up”. It was completely random but really, I was not kidding (not that I’ve ever kidded about this, we’ve just feared it). “No, really.” I said and I pulled down my pants to my knees. Hey! There was not time to argue!

Jay pushed me into the backseat of the car on top of a quilt so that my now bled through pants wouldn’t continue to bleed onto the seat. We said good bye to my sister and left her in the driveway of my grandparents without even saying hello to them. We raced to the hospital where over several hours I bleed through blankets, extra pairs of pants, pads and whatever the hospital had. I also passed several blood clots including one the size of a tennis ball which put me into a serious panic of screaming, “I don’t want to see the baby!”

To make a long, miserable story shorter; baby raspberry was fine and hopefully still is. We saw the most amazing ultrasound. The bleeding finally stopped and my cervix was closed but no one can tell me WHY this happened to begin with. Even Google can’t provide any satisfactory answers. The doctor in the emergency room said that he wouldn’t be surprised if I did miscarry but he also wouldn’t be surprised if I carried full term. One week later at my OB appointment we heard a strong heart beat so a week later all was well. Now it has been another week and I’ve experienced more bleeding but nothing like 2 weeks ago.